Breadcrumbs
Agenda for the 41st Meeting of The Countryside Agency
1. Apologies for absence and declaration of
interests
2. Chairman to sign two sets of minutes of meeting held 11 December September 2003
3. Draft minutes of October 2003 National Countryside Access Forum Meeting
4. Chief Executive’s report and matters arising (47kb word)
This paper updates the Board on activity within each programme area, any actions taken as a result of decisions from previous Board meetings and progress made on those issues
5. Modernising Rural Delivery AP04/07
The Board is asked to note the latest progress on Defra’s Modernising Rural Delivery programme and the Agency’s workstreams that feed into it.
6. Open Access: State of Play AP04/08 (55kb word)
This paper updates the Board on progress on the Open Access project, outlining each major element of the project, the risks the project faces and how these risks are being managed and mitigated. Board members are asked to note the progress on mapping and appeals and the management of local restrictions; the activity of the Open Access Contact Centre; the Ministerial approval of a one year Access Incentive Scheme and that the project status is on amber, but that risks are being managed.
7. Countryside Code: Final Text Approval AP04/09 (88kb word)
Under the Countryside & Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 the Agency had a duty to produce guidance on conduct, rights and obligations on access land for visitors and for those with legal rights over the land. The existing Country Code has not been revised for 20 years and the style and format was no longer appropriate. Following an extensive consultation period a new code has been developed. The Board is asked to approve the draft text; and to approve the promotional plan for the Code’s joint launch in July 2004 with the Countryside Council for Wales.
8. Local Authority Performance Management – Rural Proofing AP04/10 (52kb word)
Local authorities deliver key services to communities. The Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) makes judgments concerning corporate and overall authority performance. This paper asks for the Board’s agreement that the Agency continues to make representations to the Audit Commission to influence the review of CPA methodology; the training of accredited peer reviewers and the Audit Commission’s CPA inspectors; to agree that this work fits within the core function of the new Countryside Agency; and to discuss with Defra and the Audit Commission the Agency’s role in rural proofing CPA and Best Value.
9. Policy Influencing Table: Monitoring and Priorities AP04/11 (702kb word)
The ‘policy influencing table’ shows the main national policy areas where the Agency’s policy teams are engaged in providing independent advice. The table is updated on a monthly basis and helps management to measure our success and to identify issues where further action is needed if the Agency is to achieve influence. Board members are asked to note the actions under way and progress being made to influence national policy development; and to suggest any important policy issues or agendas that the Board considers are missing that ought to be a priority for the Agency.
10. Rural Services Standard: Third Progress Report 2003/2004 AP04/12 (80kb word)
The Rural Services Standard (RSS) aims to give people living in the countryside a better understanding of the access to services they could expect. Board members are asked to comment on the outline for the third report on the RSS; to agree to defer further regional pilots until 2005; to note the outcome of the review of the RSS and the action proposed; to agree that future monitoring and reporting on RSS should be a core task for the new Countryside Agency; and to consider whether future reporting should be combined with the Rural Services series or the annual Rural Proofing report.
11. Rural Proofing Annual Report 2003/2004 AP04/13
Closed paper.
12. AOB
13. Date and location of next meeting
The next meeting of the Countryside Agency will be on 20 May 2004, John Dower House, Cheltenham.
